Evaluation and Management of Hip and Knee Arthritis in Women

Dr. Lajam is an Adult Reconstructive surgeon, Chief Safety Officer, Chief of Adult Reconstruction Quality, at NYU Langone Orthopedics. A Professor of Orthopedics at NYU School of Medicine, she is a Fellowship-trained Orthopedic Surgeon. She specializes in total hip replacement, total knee replacement, revision and complex revision total hip and knee replacement. She is also an original host of “The Orthopedics Show” on SiriusXM Doctor Radio. She sits on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and is the Chair of the central program committee for the AAOS annual meeting. Her track record of leadership, excellence in orthopedic education, and research speaks for itself. Claudette M. Lajam, MD, is an adult reconstructive surgeon specializing in primary and revision hip and knee replacement. She is Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, System Chief of Orthopedic Quality and Safety, Chief of Quality for the Division of Arthroplasty, and has served on the Executive Committee of the Medical Board at NYU Langone Health and the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Dr. Lajam completed her residency in Orthopedic Surgery at the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Medicine. She is the first woman and first orthopedic surgeon to receive the Mayo Clinic Alumni Association Professional Achievement Award. She went on to Adult Reconstruction fellowship at the Insall Scott Kelly Institute in New York.

Claudette served on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) through her role as 50th Chair of the AAOS Board of Councilors. She is the first Latino person to Chair the AAOS Board of Councilors. She is one of two practicing female surgeon members of the Knee Society. She served as Chair of the Central Program Committee for the 2021 AAOS Annual Meeting. Dr. Lajam remains the only woman to be named to the AAOS Advocacy Wall o’ Fame. She is Past President of the Ruth Jackson Orthopedic Society. Claudette is a founding member of the American Association of Latino Orthopedic Surgeons. Claudette has served on the AAOS Communications Cabinet, the Education Council, Committee Appointment Program, Quality Council, and Executive Committee.

She has served on the Board of Directors of the NY State Society of Orthopedic Surgeons. She is actively involved in American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons Women in Arthroplasty and Advocacy Committees. She served on the Annual Meeting Committee for the National Hispanic Medical Association in 2022.

Dr. Lajam has published widely in the field of orthopedics. She has spoken nationally and internationally about primary and revision hip and knee replacement, telehealth, value-based care, health disparities, medical ethics, resident education, and technology. She is an original host of Sirius XM Doctor Radio “The Orthopedics Show” on Sirius XM 110.

Claudette was born in Queens, NY. She is first-generation Dominican- American and is fluent in the Spanish language.